Stitching Machine

ABSTRACT

A stitching machine may include a needle apparatus, a sewing thread spool receiving device, and a bobbin thread spool receiving device. The stitching machine may further include a bobbin thread tensioner configured to receive bobbin thread from the bobbin thread spool receiving device. The bobbin thread tensioner may be further configured to supply the bobbin thread to the needle apparatus. The bobbin thread spool receiving device is configured to receive a bobbin spool holding approximately 700 meters or more of bobbin thread. The bobbin thread spool receiving device may be located above a stitching location of the stitching machine. The stitching machine may provide improved access to a bobbin spool, enhanced manufacturing efficiency, and enhanced manufacturing flexibility.

BACKGROUND

Sewing machines, embroidery machines, and other stitching machines may be supplied with thread from one or more spools. The thread may be used for various purposes, such as stitching together articles of fabric and/or stitching ornamental patterns. Stitching may include the use of a bobbin thread, which is generally located on an underside of an article of fabric. The thread sewn or embroidered on a top side of the article of fabric may be pushed through the article of fabric by a needle and secured with the bobbin thread so that the sewing or embroidering thread is stitched into place.

SUMMARY

A stitching machine may include a needle apparatus, a sewing thread spool receiving device, and a bobbin thread spool receiving device. The stitching machine may further include a bobbin thread tensioner configured to receive bobbin thread from the bobbin thread spool receiving device. The bobbin thread tensioner may be further configured to supply the bobbin thread to the needle apparatus. The bobbin thread spool receiving device is configured to receive a bobbin spool holding approximately 700 to 10,000 meters of bobbin thread.

In another aspect, a stitching machine may include a needle apparatus, a sewing thread spool, a bobbin spool, and a bobbin thread tensioner. The bobbin spool may hold approximately 700 to 10,000 meters or more of bobbin thread. The bobbin thread tensioner may be configured to receive bobbin thread from the bobbin thread spool receiving device and supply the bobbin thread to the needle apparatus.

In another aspect, a method of stitching an article may include a step of providing a sewing thread spool holding sewing thread and supplying the sewing thread from the sewing thread spool to a stitching machine. The method may further include providing a bobbin thread spool holding approximately 700 to 10,000 meters of bobbin thread and supplying the bobbin thread from the bobbin thread spool to the stitching machine. A sewing thread may further be laid against a first surface of the article. The method may further include laying a bobbin thread against a second surface of the article, the first surface being opposite the second surface. In addition, the sewing thread and the bobbin thread may be stitched together.

In another aspect, a method of stitching an article of footwear includes laying a first strand against a first surface of a material element. The method may further include providing a bobbin spool holding approximately 700 to 10,000 meters of a second strand and supplying the second strand to a stitching machine. The first strand may be stitched over with a second strand via the stitching machine to secure the second strand to the first surface at a plurality of locations on opposite sides of the first strand.

The advantages and features of novelty characterizing aspects of the invention are pointed out with particularity in the appended claims. To gain an improved understanding of the advantages and features of novelty, however, reference may be made to the following descriptive matter and accompanying figures that describe and illustrate various configurations and concepts related to the invention.

FIGURE DESCRIPTIONS

The foregoing Summary and the following Detailed Description will be better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying figures.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sewing machine including a conventional bobbin.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the needle apparatus of the sewing machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a bobbin spool.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a bobbin spool with bobbin thread wound upon the bobbin spool.

FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of a sewing machine including a bobbin spool and a tensioner.

FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view of the sewing machine of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a thread tensioner, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a side view of a thread tensioner, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a side view of an article after a needle with a first thread has penetrated the article.

FIG. 10 is a side view of an article a first loop is made in the first thread.

FIG. 11 is a side view of an article after a shuttle with a bobbin thread has passed through the first loop.

FIG. 12 is a side view of an article after the needle has been withdrawn from the article and the shuttle has been withdrawn towards its initial position to make a first lock stitch.

FIG. 13 is a side view of an article after the needle and first thread have penetrated the article a second time to create a second loop of first thread.

FIG. 14 is a side view of an article after the shuttle with the bobbin thread has been advanced through the second loop of the first thread.

FIG. 15 is a side view of an article after the needle has been withdrawn from the article and the shuttle has been withdrawn towards its initial position to make a second lock stitch.

FIG. 16 is a side view of an article in which two lock stitches have been made.

FIG. 17 is a side view of an article after a needle with a first thread has penetrated the article.

FIG. 18 is a side view of an article after a rotary hook has rotated towards the first thread held by the needle.

FIG. 19 is a side view of an article after the rotary hook has engaged the first thread.

FIG. 20 is a side view of an article after the rotary hook has advanced the first thread to create a loop with the first thread.

FIG. 21 is a side view of an article after the rotary hook has advanced the first thread further past the bobbin thread.

FIG. 22 is a side view of an article after the first thread has begun to wrap around the bobbin thread.

FIG. 23 is a side view of an article after the first thread has been looped around the bobbin thread.

FIG. 24 is a side view of an article after the needle has been withdrawn from the article to make a third lock stitch.

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of an embroidery machine including a bobbin spool and a tensioner.

FIG. 26 is an enlarged view of the needle apparatus of the embroidery machine of FIG. 25.

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of an article including lock stitches.

FIG. 28 is an exploded perspective view of the article of FIG. 27.

FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional view of the article along line 29 of FIG. 27.

FIG. 30 is a cross-sectional view of the article along line 30 of FIG. 27.

FIG. 31 is a lateral side elevational view of an article of footwear.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following discussion and accompanying figures disclose various configurations of stitching machines, such as sewing machines or embroidery machines. The concepts described herein may be applied to a variety of machines that sew or embroider with a first thread and a bobbin thread. The machines may be used to sew or embroider a variety of articles. For instance, an article may be an article of apparel, such as a shirt, pants, jacket, or any type of footwear. For example, a shoe may be a baseball shoe, basketball shoe, training shoe, cycling shoe, football shoe, running shoe, tennis shoe, soccer shoe, or hiking boot. The concepts may also be applied to footwear types that are generally considered to be non-athletic, including dress shoes, loafers, sandals, and work boots. In another instance, an article may be luggage or a backpack.

Conventional Machine and Bobbin

A conventional sewing machine 100 is shown in FIG. 1. Sewing machine 100 includes a head 110 connected to a base 120. Head 110 may include a needle apparatus 130 and a take-up lever 140. Base 120 may include a needle plate 122 and may include feed dogs (not shown) to engage an article being sewn and advance the article in a sewing direction. A spool of sewing thread (not shown) may be provided on post 190, threaded through take-up lever 140, and supplied to needle apparatus 130. Sewing thread may be supplied to needle apparatus 130 by reciprocation of the take-up lever 140 in a vertical direction relative to base 120, as well as the reciprocation of needle apparatus 130 itself. A knob 150 may be provided to adjust tension applied by take-up lever 140 to sewing thread passing through take-up lever 140. Sewing machine 100 may further include (a) a width knob 160 to adjust a width of stitches formed from the sewing thread and (b) a length knob 170 to adjust a length of the stitches. A hand wheel 180 may also be provided to manually adjust the position of needle apparatus 130.

Turning to FIG. 2, needle apparatus 130 may include a needle shaft 132 to which a needle 136 is mounted via a needle clamp 135. A sewing thread 134 may be strung from take-up lever 140 above (see FIG. 1), down along sewing shaft 132, and through needle 136. Needle apparatus 130 may further include a presser bar or shaft 133 and a presser foot 137 connected to presser bar 133. Presser foot 137 may engage or otherwise press down upon an article being sewn (not shown) that is placed between presser foot 137 and needle plate 122. Needle plate 122 may include one or more needle slots or apertures 123 through which needle 136 may be inserted during a sewing operation.

Besides using a sewing thread to create stitches in an article, a bobbin thread may also be supplied to an underside of an article. For example, a bobbin thread may be supplied to an article to make a locking stitch with a sewing thread, as will be explained below. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, sewing machine 100 may include a bobbin spool 200 to supply a bobbin thread. As shown in FIG. 3, a bobbin spool 200 may include a cylinder 210, a first flange 212, and a second flange 214. FIG. 4 shows an example of a bobbin spool 200 with bobbin thread 220 wound between first flange 212 and second flange 214. Referring back to FIG. 1, bobbin thread 220 may be wound upon bobbin spool 200, for example, by installing bobbin spool 200 upon bobbin winder 192, installing a bulk cone of bobbin thread upon post 190, and activating sewing machine 100 to drive a shaft of bobbin winder 192 so that bobbin spool 200 is rotated, causing bobbin thread to be pulled from the bulk cone and wound onto bobbin spool 200.

Because a bobbin thread is supplied to an underside of an article sewn by needle apparatus 130 of sewing machine 100, bobbin spool 200 may be located within a recess 124 located underneath needle plate 122. As a result, bobbin spool 200 is located a distance 10 beneath needle apparatus 130. Because the components of needle apparatus 130 typically reciprocate up and down in a vertical direction relative to base 120, distance 10 may be a distance from bobbin spool 200 to an average height of needle apparatus 130 during a sewing operation. In another example, distance 10 may be a distance from bobbin spool 200 to a maximum height of a tip of needle 136 nearest needle plate 122 when needle apparatus is withdrawn vertically upwards away from needle plate 122. Distance 10 may be, for example, in the range of 2 to 15 centimeters.

Sewing machine 100 may include other devices located within recess 124. For example, sewing machine 100 may include a device to create a locking stitch in an article, such as a rotary hook 138 or a shuttle. Although bobbin spool 200 may be located at any position within recess 124, such as the position shown in FIG. 2, if sewing machine 100 includes rotary hook 138, bobbin spool 200 may be located within a central recess 139 of rotary hook 138.

Conventional bobbin spools are relatively small and hold a length of bobbin thread on the order of a few hundred meters. Therefore, during sewing or embroidery operations, in which the amount of bobbin thread utilized is relatively large, the entire length of bobbin thread may be consumed. Depending upon the article being sewn or embroidered and/or the sewing or embroidery operation, this may result in the article being discarded because the operation cannot be completed after the bobbin thread runs out. As a result, waste may occur in the sewing or embroidery operation and the efficiency of the operation suffers.

In addition, bobbin spools are typically located beneath an article being sewn or embroidered. For instance, a conventional bobbin spool may be located underneath plate 122 within base 120 of sewing machine 100. Embroidery machines may have similar arrangements for a bobbin spool. Because a bobbin spool 200 is typically located within recess 124 of base 120, the accessibility of bobbin spool 200 is limited. In particular, a panel in base 120 is typically removed and then bobbin spool 200 is extracted from recess 124 if work must be done on bobbin spool 200, such as replenishing bobbin thread 220.

Further, a bobbin spool may not be easily accessible in conventional machines. A panel covering recess 124 may obscure viewing of bobbin spool 200 so that a user may not know how much bobbin thread is left on bobbin spool 200. In addition, an article being sewn or embroidered may be placed upon base 120 during a sewing or embroidery operation, covering recess 124 and causing bobbin spool 200 to be obscured from view. To access the bobbin spool, a user must open the panel within the base and withdraw the bobbin spool, limiting the accessibility of the bobbin spool.

A conventional bobbin spool 200 may have various sizes. For example, bobbin spools typically used in domestic sewing or embroidery machines found in homes are size L or size 15/A (sometimes referred to as size A). A size L bobbin spool may have a diameter (a distance across a flat side of a flange) of, for example, 0.912 inches and a height (a distance from a flat side of one flange, across the cylinder, to a flat side of the other flange) of, for example, 0.359 inches. A size L bobbin spool may hold approximately 115-125 meters of bobbin thread. A size 15/A bobbin spool may have a diameter of, for example, 0.815 inches (2.07 cm) and a height of, for example, 0.465 inches (1.18 cm). A size 15/A bobbin spool may hold approximately 135-145 meters of bobbin thread. Another size of bobbin spool is size F, which have a diameter of 0.770 inches (1.96 cm) and a height of 0.303 inches (0.769 cm).

Other bobbin spool sizes may be used. Commercial machines may use, for example, a size G, size M, or size U bobbin spool. A size G bobbin spool may have a diameter of 0.991 inches (2.52 cm) and a height of 0.390 inches (0.991 cm). A size M bobbin spool may have a diameter of 1.023 inches (2.598 cm) and a height of 0.435 inches (1.105 cm). A size M bobbin spool may hold approximately 270 meters of bobbin thread. A size U bobbin spool may have a diameter of 1.161 inches (2.949 cm) and a height of 0.457 inches (1.161 cm).

The conventional bobbin spools discussed above have relatively small sizes and therefore hold only a limited amount of bobbin thread. Due to their relatively small sizes, conventional bobbin spools used in a sewing machine or an embroidery machine typically hold approximately 50 meters of bobbin thread to a maximum of 500 meters of bobbin thread. During a sewing or embroidery operation using bobbin thread, the length of bobbin thread may be entirely consumed so that there is no more bobbin thread left on a conventional bobbin spool. This may result in the article being sewn or embroidered being discarded because the sewing or embroidering operation cannot be completed after the bobbin thread runs out. As a result, waste may occur in the sewing or embroidery operation.

In view of these considerations, it is desirable to provide sewing machines and embroidery machines that allow greater accessibility to bobbin spools and minimize waste due to the use of relatively small bobbin spools that hold relatively small amounts of bobbin thread.

Stitching Machine Configuration

An example of a stitching machine having the configuration of a sewing machine 300 is shown in FIG. 5. Sewing machine 300 may include a head 310 connected to a base 320. Head 310 may include a needle apparatus 330 and a take-up lever 340. Needle apparatus 330 may include the components and features of needle apparatus 130 shown in FIG. 2. Base 320 may include a needle plate 322 and may include feed dogs (not shown) to engage an article being sewn and advance the article in a sewing direction. A knob 350 may be provided to adjust tension applied by take-up lever 340 to sewing thread. A width knob 360 may be provided to adjust the width of stitching. Sewing machine may also include a length knob 370 to adjust the length of stitches and a hand wheel 380 to manually adjust the position of needle apparatus 330.

Sewing machine 300 may include a sewing thread spool receiving device, such as a post 312. Although a post 312 is shown here, other embodiments could incorporate any other device used in the art for receiving a sewing thread spool. Sewing thread 316 may be unwound from spool 314, fed through take-up lever 340, and supplied to needle apparatus 330.

As shown in FIG. 5, sewing machine 300 may include a bobbin spool 400 to supply bobbin thread 402 to sewing machine 300. Bobbin spool 400 may have, for example, the features and structure of bobbin spool 200 shown in FIG. 3. In another example, bobbin spool 400 may be formed by winding bobbin thread 402 onto a shaft or cylinder that does not include flanges. The accumulated windings of bobbin thread 402 on the shaft or cylinder may have, for example, the shape of a cone or a cylinder.

Bobbin spool 400 may be larger than a conventional bobbin and thus hold more bobbin thread than a conventional bobbin. For example, bobbin spool 400 may be configured to hold approximately 700 or more meters of bobbin thread. In another example, bobbin spool 400 may hold approximately 700 to 10,000 meters of bobbin thread. In another example, bobbin spool 400 may hold approximately 900 to 10,000 meters of bobbin thread. In another example, bobbin spool 400 may hold approximately 1000 to 10,000 meters of bobbin thread. In another example, bobbin spool 400 may hold approximately 2000 to 10,000 meters of bobbin thread. In another example, bobbin spool 400 may hold approximately 3000 to 10,000 meters of bobbin thread.

Due to the relatively large size of bobbin spool 400, a more continuous feed of bobbin thread 402 may be provided to sewing machine 300. As a result of the increased amount of bobbin thread 402 available in a single continuous feed, waste caused by unfinished sewing operations may be minimized. Also, greater flexibility may be provided in planning sewing operations for different articles requiring different amounts of bobbin thread 402.

Bobbin spool 400 may be mounted, for example, onto a bobbin spool 400 receiving device, such as a post 404 or other device used in the art. The location of post 404 may be selected to provide greater accessibility to bobbin spool 400 mounted upon post 404. For instance, when bobbin spool 400 is mounted to post 404 or is otherwise ready for use with sewing machine 300, bobbin spool 400 may be separate from and not directly attached to sewing machine 300. As shown in FIG. 5, post 404 may be located separately from sewing machine 300 so that post 404 is not directly connected or directly attached to sewing machine 300. In contrast with conventional designs, bobbin spool 400 may not be located within a recess of sewing machine 300, which may otherwise obscure the view of bobbin spool 400 and hamper accessing bobbin spool 400, such as when the supply of bobbin thread 402 from bobbin spool 400 has been exhausted and bobbin spool 400 must be replaced. In general, however, bobbin spool 400 may hold at least 700 meters of bobbin thread.

To locate bobbin spool 400 separately from sewing machine 300, post 404 may be positioned so that when bobbin spool 400 is mounted on post 404, bobbin spool 400 is located above sewing machine 300. As shown in the example of FIG. 5, post 404 may be located above sewing machine 300 so that when bobbin spool 400 is mounted on post 404, bobbin spool 400 is located at a height 20 from base 320 of sewing machine 300 that is greater than a distance 22 from base 320 to a top of the head 310 of sewing machine 300. Height 20 may be measured to a bottom surface of bobbin spool 400, or bobbin spool receiving device, when bobbin spool 400 is mounted on the bobbin spool receiving device, such as post 404. Height 20 and height 22 may also be measured from a stitching location. Such a stitching location may be proximate to needle apparatus 330 and needle plate 322 where stitching of an article occurs. For instance, height 20 may be measured from a stitching location to the bottom surface of bobbin spool 400 or bobbin spool receiving device. Height 20 may be, for example, approximately 0.5 meters or more. In another example, height 20 may be, for example, approximately 0.75 meters. In another example, height 20 may be, for example, approximately 1 meter.

Due to the relatively large size of bobbin spool 400, sewing machine 300 may have difficulty regulating the tension applied to bobbin thread 402 drawn from bobbin spool 400, which may affect the quality of stitching produced by sewing machine. Further, sewing machine 300 may even have insufficient power to spin the relatively large and heavy bobbin spool 400 so that bobbin thread 402 cannot be drawn. To address these issues, sewing machine 300 may include a tensioner 410. One tensioner 410 may be provided per bobbin spool 400, as shown in FIG. 5. In another example, a plurality of tensioners 410 may be provided for each bobbin spool 400, such as two tensioners 410 per bobbin spool 400 or three tensioners 410 per bobbin spool 400.

Bobbin thread 402 may be supplied from bobbin spool 400 to tensioner 410, which in turn regulates the tension applied to bobbin thread 402 and supplies the bobbin thread 402 to sewing machine 300. Tensioner 410 may be configured to pull thread from a relatively large spool, such as bobbin spool 400, so that a proper amount of tension may be applied to bobbin thread 402. A stitching machine, such as sewing machine 300, may not be properly configured to pull a thread from a relatively large bobbin spool at a desired tension. For instance, a stitching machine may not be capable of pulling a bobbin thread from a relatively large bobbin spool with a desired tension at a relatively constant rate or amount. Thus, tensioner 410 may compensate for a greater amount of tension required to pull bobbin thread 402 from bobbin spool 400 and may regulate the tension of the bobbin thread 402 to be relatively constant.

As shown in the example of FIG. 5, tensioner 410 may be separate from and not directly attached to sewing machine 300, similar to bobbin spool 400. For instance, tensioner 410 may also be provided at height 20 above base 320 or stitching location of sewing machine 300. Bobbin thread 402 may be supplied from tensioner 402 to sewing machine 300 in various manners. For instance, bobbin thread 402 may be strung from tensioner 410 located above sewing machine 300 to a bottom surface 323 of base 320 of sewing machine 300, as shown in FIG. 6, so that tensioner 402 is easily accessible above sewing machine 300. An aperture 324 may be provided in the bottom surface 323 of base 320 so that bobbin thread 402 may be supplied to the stitching location proximate to needle apparatus 330 and needle plate 322. Other guides or channels (not shown) may be provided to guide bobbin thread 402 from bobbin spool 400 to the stitching location.

In another example, tensioner 410 may be located below sewing machine 300 instead of above sewing machine 300. For instance, tensioner 410 may be located below bottom surface 323 of base 320. In such an example, bobbin thread 402 may be provided from bobbin spool 400 located above sewing machine 300 to tensioner 410 below bottom surface 323, and then from tensioner 410 through aperture 324 to the stitching location. In the case that sewing machine 300 is placed upon or mounted to a surface of a table (not shown), tensioner 410 may be located underneath the surface of the table. In some configurations, bobbin spool 400 and tensioner 410 may be located below sewing machine 300.

Tensioner Devices

Tensioner 410 may be any type of device configured to regulate the tension applied to bobbin thread 402. Turning to FIG. 7, tensioner 410 may include a fixed drum 412 that bobbin thread is wound onto by a rotating disc 411. For instance, bobbin thread 402 may be strung through tensioner 410 and disc 411, so that when disc 411 rotates in direction 24, bobbin thread 402 is wound onto fixed drum 412, as shown in FIG. 7. Tensioner 410 may further include a braking device 414. Braking device 414 may be configured to control the tension applied to bobbin thread 402 by pressing bobbin thread 402 between braking device 414 and an end 413 of fixed drum 412 as bobbin thread 402 is pulled from and unwinds from fixed drum 412. Braking device 414 may have a shape corresponding to end 413 of fixed drum 412 so that bobbin thread 402 may be pressed between braking device 414 and end 413 in a desired manner. For example, braking device 414 may generally have a conical or frustoconical shape.

To urge braking device 414 towards end 413 of fixed drum 412, braking device 414 may be connected to a support 417 by one or more connecting members 418. Connecting members 418 may be elastic in their nature. For example, connecting members 418 may be springs. Support 417 may have a generally annular shape, such as a ring. The position of support 417 may be adjusted by moving support 417 along direction 26 shown in FIG. 7. Thus, the connection created between braking device 414, connecting members 418, and support 417 may cause braking device 414 to be urged towards end 413 of fixed drum 412 in direction 26, as shown in FIG. 7. Therefore, when bobbin thread 402 is unwound from fixed drum 412, bobbin thread 402 may be pressed between braking device 414 and end 413 of fixed drum 412. By adjusting the position of support 417, the tension applied to bobbin thread 402 may be controlled. Further, because connecting members 418 may be elastic, tension applied to bobbin thread 402 may be relieved when the tension is too high, due to connecting members 418 stretching and permitting the distance between braking device 414 and end 413 to increase. Bobbin thread 402 may exit from between braking device 414 and end 413 of fixed drum 412 by passing through a central aperture 416 of braking device 414. Tensioner 410 may also include an annular guide 419 through which bobbin thread 402 may pass and exit from tensioner 410, as shown in the example of FIG. 7.

Examples of the type of tensioner 410 shown in FIG. 7 include tensioners manufactured by LGL® Electronics of Gandino, Italy. For instance, the following models manufactured by LGL® Electronics may be used as tensioner 410: Primo, Vector, Attivo, and Compact.

Another example of a tensioner 420 is shown in FIG. 8. Tensioner 420 may include a drum 422 upon which bobbin thread 402 is wound. Drum 422 may be fixed and not rotate or may rotate. Drum 422 may be included to provide an accumulation of bobbin thread 402 and to control the tension applied to downstream components of tensioner 420. Bobbin thread 402 may be unwound from drum 422 and supplied to a first roller 424. Subsequently, bobbin thread 402 may be strung in a serpentine manner between first roller 424, a movable roller 428, and a second roller 426. Although first roller 424 and second roller 426 may be fixed in position, the position of movable roller 428 may be varied. For example, movable roller 428 may be moved in direction 28 shown in FIG. 8 so that the amount of force applied by movable roller 428 to bobbin thread 402 may be increased or decreased to adjust and control the tension applied to bobbin thread 402. In another example, tensioner 420 may include first roller 424, second roller 426, and movable roller 428 but not include drum 422.

Lock Stitching

One use of bobbin thread in a stitching or embroidering operation is making a lock stitch. A lock stitch may be used for various purposes. In one example, lock stitching may be used to stitch layers of fabric together. In another example, lock stitching may be used to stitch a cord or other element to a surface of an article, as will be discussed below. The methods and devices described below may be used with any of the embodiments described herein.

Turning to FIGS. 9-15, a first method for making lock stitches that uses a shuttle will be described. As shown in FIG. 9, an article 500 to be stitched may be provided. Article 500 may include one or more layers of fabric to which a cord or other element (not shown) is stitched or article 500 may include a plurality of layers that are stitched together by the locking stitches. A needle 510 is provided and threaded with a sewing thread 512 above a top side 501 of article 500. Top side 501, for instance, may serve as an exterior surface of article 500. Needle 510 is then pierced through article 500 in direction 30 shown in FIG. 9 to draw sewing thread 512 through article to an underside 503 of article 500. Underside 503, for instance, may serve as an interior surface of article 500.

As shown in FIG. 10, once thread 512 has been drawn through article 500, a first loop 514 may be formed by thread 512 on underside 503 of article 500. Once first loop 514 has been formed, a shuttle 520 carrying a bobbin thread 522 may be moved in direction 32 shown in FIG. 10. This results in shuttle 520 and bobbin thread 522 passing through first loop 514, as shown in FIG. 11. Subsequently, needle 510 and sewing thread 512 are withdrawn in direction 34 and shuttle 520 and bobbin thread 522 are withdrawn in direction 38, as shown in FIG. 12. Article 500 may also be advanced in direction 36 shown in FIG. 12 to continue locking stitching. The motions of needle 510 and shuttle 520 result in sewing thread 512 and bobbin thread 522 being pulled together to form a first lock stitch 523.

The process described above may be repeated to produce additional lock stitches. For instance, as shown in FIG. 13, needle 510 may again penetrate through article 500 by moving in direction 30 to pull sewing thread 512 through article 500 and to underside 503 of article 500. A second loop 516 may be formed by sewing thread 512 and shuttle 520 may be moved in direction 32 to pull bobbin thread 522 through second loop 516, as shown in FIG. 14. Subsequently, needle 510 may be withdrawn in direction 34 and shuttle 520 may move in direction 38, causing sewing thread 512 and bobbin thread 522 to be pulled together to make a second lock stitch 525, as shown in FIG. 15.

A second method of making lock stitches uses a rotary hook, as shown in FIGS. 16-24. Turning to FIG. 16, article 500 may be provided and sewing thread 512 may be strung through needle 510, which is initially positioned on top side 501 of article 500. Bobbin thread 532 may be wound onto a bobbin spool 530, which a rotary hook 534 rotates around. Initially, needle 510 moves in direction 40 to pull sewing thread 512 through article 500, as shown in FIG. 17. During this operation, rotary hook 534 may continuously rotate in direction 42, so that a hook end 536 of rotary hook 534 advances towards sewing thread 512 held by needle 510 on underside 503 of article 500.

Turning to FIG. 19, once hook end 536 of rotary hook 534 reaches sewing thread 512, hook end 536 may grasp sewing thread 512. As rotary hook 534 rotates, sewing thread 512 captured by hook end 536 is pulled downwards and away from article 500, as shown in FIG. 20. Rotary hook 534 continues to rotate in direction 42 and pull sewing thread 512 downward, as shown in FIG. 21.

Turning to FIG. 22, as rotary hook 534 continues to rotate, sewing thread 512 is pulled around bobbin thread 532, creating a loop 518 of sewing thread 512 around bobbin thread 532. Eventually, as rotary hook 534 rotates, sewing thread 512 is released from hook end 536 of rotary hook 534, causing loop 518 of sewing thread 512 to close about bobbin thread 532, as shown in FIG. 23. Needle 510 may also be withdrawn in direction 44 shown in FIG. 23 to pull sewing thread 512 back through article 500. This in turn may apply tension to loop 518 of sewing thread 512 and bobbin thread 532 to create lock stitch 537, as shown in FIG. 24. This process may be repeated as rotary hook 534 continues to rotate, such as by advancing article 500 in direction 46 and repeating the steps described above.

Lock stitches may be located on the underside of an article, as shown in FIGS. 12, 15, and 24. However, depending on the configuration of an article, sewing thread, bobbin thread, and other factors, such as the location of a loop of sewing thread, lock stitches may be provided in other locations, such as between a top side and underside of an article, or on a top side of the article.

Embroidery Machine

The aspects and methods described herein may also be applied to other types of stitching machines, including an embroidery machine. Embroidery machines may include a bobbin spool and may, therefore, be affected by the accessibility and efficiency considerations described above for conventional bobbin spools. In view of this, it would be advantageous to provide an embroidery machine that provides improved access to a bobbin spool and enhanced manufacturing efficiency and flexibility.

An example of an embroidery machine 600 is shown in FIG. 25. Embroidery machine 600 may include an array 610 of spool receiving devices configured to receive spools of sewing thread. Array 610 is provided so that embroidery machine 600 may stitch with a variety of threads having different colors and/or sizes, according to a desired design. Threads from spools of sewing threads provided in array 610 may be strung through an array of guides 612 and subsequently to a needle apparatus 614. Embroidery machine 600 may include a table or frame 616 to hold an article to be embroidered. In one example, needle apparatus 614 may be stationary while table 616 moves so that a pattern may be embroidered into an article held by table 616. In another example, table 616 may be stationary and needle apparatus 614 may move to embroider a desired pattern.

Embroidery machine 600 may be used to stitch sewing thread supplied from array 610 onto an article in a desired pattern. In another example, embroidery machine 600 may be used to stitch an element to a surface of an article. For instance, as shown in FIG. 26, needle apparatus 614 may include a cording attachment 650 for guiding a cord 642 through needle apparatus 614 so that cord 642 may be stitched to a surface of article 640 using stitch patterns used in the art. Such a cording attachment may also be used with sewing machine 300 of FIG. 5 to stitch a cord to a surface of an article.

Embroidery machine 600 may further include a bobbin spool 620 placed upon a bobbin spool receiving device 621, such as a post. Bobbin spool 620 may have the features of bobbin spool 400 of FIG. 5, including the sizes discussed above (i.e. the lengths of bobbin thread, in meters, held by the spool). Bobbin spool 620 may be located at distance from a stitching location 615 of embroidery machine 600. For instance, bobbin spool 620 may be located at a height 50 that is measured from stitching location 615 to a bottom surface of bobbin spool 620 when bobbin spool 620 is mounted on bobbin spool receiving device 621. Stitching location 615 may be proximate to needle apparatus 614 and table 616 where embroidery stitching of an article occurs. In another example, height 50 may be measured from table 616 to a bottom surface of bobbin spool 620. Height 50 may be, for example, approximately 0.5 meter or more. In another example, height 50 may be, for example, approximately 0.75 meters. In another example, height 50 may be, for example, approximately 1 meter.

Bobbin thread 622 unwound from bobbin spool 620 may be supplied to a tensioner 630, which in turn supplies the bobbin thread 622 to embroidery machine 600. Tensioner 630 may have the features of the tensioners described above, such as tensioner 410 of FIG. 7 or tensioner 420 of FIG. 8, and may be located in the same locations relative to embroidery machine. For instance, tensioner 630 may be located at a height above a stitching location 615 similar to height 20 in FIG. 5.

By providing embroidery machine 600 with bobbin spool 620 and tensioner 630, embroidery machine 600 may advantageously place bobbin spool 620 in a more accessible and viewable location. Further, the increased length of bobbin thread 622 supplied by the relatively large bobbin spool 620 may reduce waste and enhance manufacturing efficiency and flexibility.

Articles Manufactured

Various articles may be stitched using the machines and methods described above. In one example, an article may be manufactured by stitching an element to a surface of the article. The element may be added to the article, for example, to affect the properties of the article. For instance, the element may be added to the article to enhance the strength of the article and resist stretching of the article. Such an element may be stitched to the article using sewing machine 300 of FIG. 5 or embroidery machine of FIG. 25 by using the methods of FIGS. 9-15 and FIGS. 16-24.

Turning to FIG. 27, an article 660 is shown that includes tensile strands 642 stitched to a foundation element 640. Foundation element 640 may be, for example, an article of fabric, such as a woven fabric or other type of fabric used in the art. Tensile strands 642 form structural components in article 660 that resist stretch. In addition to strength properties, tensile strands 642 may be included in article 660 to impart distinctive aesthetic properties.

By being substantially parallel to the exterior surface of foundation element 640, tensile strands 642 resist stretch in directions that correspond with the planes of foundation element 640. Although tensile strands 642 may extend through foundation element 640 (e.g., as a result of stitching) in some locations, areas where tensile strands 642 extend through foundation element 640 may permit stretch, thereby reducing the overall ability of tensile strands 642 to limit stretch. As a result, each of tensile strands 642 generally lie adjacent to the exterior surface of foundation element 640 and substantially parallel to the exterior surface of foundation element 640 for distances of at least twelve millimeters, and may lie adjacent to the exterior surface of foundation element 640 and substantially parallel to the exterior surface of foundation element 640 for distances of at least five centimeters or more.

Tensile strands 642 may be stitched to foundation element 640 in various ways. For example, tensile strands 642 may be stitched to foundation element 640 using locking stitches, such as the methods described in FIGS. 9-24. Sewing machine 300 of FIG. 5 or embroidery machine of FIG. 25 may be used to stitch tensile strands 642 to foundation element 640 of article 660. For instance, tensile strands 642 may be supplied through the needle apparatus of sewing machine 300 of FIG. 5 or the needle apparatus of embroidery machine 600 of FIG. 25, such as by using the cording attachment 650 of FIG. 26.

FIGS. 27 and 28 show an example of a structure of a locking stitch in which tensile strands 642 are secured to foundation element 640 by stitching securing strands 624 to repeatedly extend over tensile strands 642. Securing strands 624 may be secured to foundation element 640 on opposite sides of tensile strands 642. In this configuration, securing strands 624 are secured to foundation element 640 at a plurality of locations on opposite sides of the tensile strands 642 and form, for example, a zigzag pattern along at least a portion of the lengths of tensile strands 642.

Securing strands 624 may extend through foundation element 640 and wrap around backing strands 622, such as in a locking stitch configuration, to effectively hold securing strands 624 in place, as shown in FIGS. 29 and 30. For instance, securing strands 624 may be provided by a sewing thread on an upper side of foundation element 640, while backing strands 622 may be provided by a bobbin thread on an underside of foundation element 640. For instance, backing strands 622 may be provided from a bobbin spool discussed above. Such a configuration secures tensile strands 642 between securing strands 624 and foundation element 640. Although adhesives or other joining mechanisms may be used to secure tensile strands 642 to foundation element 640 or supplement the securing of tensile strands 642 to foundation element 640, securing strands 624 and backing strands 622 may be solely responsible for holding tensile strands 642 to foundation element 640. According to another example, backing strands 622 may be absent in some configurations.

Based upon the above discussion, tensile strands 642 may form structural components in article 660 that resist stretch, whereas securing strands 624 and backing strands 622 are cooperatively utilized to secure the position of tensile strands 642 upon foundation element 640. Given that tensile strands 642 are used to resist stretch and may be subjected to substantial tensile forces, the materials and thicknesses of tensile strands 642 may be selected to bear the tensile forces without breaking, yielding, or otherwise failing. Similarly, the materials and thicknesses of securing strands 624 and backing strands 622 may be selected to ensure that tensile strands remain properly positioned relative to foundation element 640. In some article, the tensile forces applied to tensile strands 642 may be significantly greater than the forces subjected to securing strands 624 and backing strands 622. As a result, in some cases, the diameter or thickness of tensile strands 642 may be greater than the diameters or thicknesses of securing strands 624 and backing strands 622.

Strands 642, 624, and 622 and threads discussed herein (including sewing and bobbin threads) may be formed from a variety of filaments, fibers, yarns, threads, cables, or ropes that are formed from rayon, nylon, polyester, polyacrylic, silk, cotton, carbon, glass, aramids (e.g., para-aramid fibers and meta-aramid fibers), ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, liquid crystal polymer, copper, aluminum, and steel, for example. Strands and threads may be uncoated or coated. Strands 642, 624, and 622 may be formed from the same material, or may be formed from different materials. For example, tensile strands 642 may be formed from polyethylene, whereas strands 624 and 622 may be formed from nylon. As another example, strands 642 and 624 may be formed from polyester, whereas backing strands 622 are formed from cotton. Similarly, some of tensile strands 642 may be formed from aramids, whereas other tensile strands 642 may be formed from silk. The materials utilized for strands 642, 624, and 622 may vary, therefore, to impart different properties to different areas of article 660.

Although strands 642, 624, and 622 and threads will often have a cross-section where width and thickness are substantially equal (e.g., a round or square cross-section), suitable cross-sections may have a width that is greater than a thickness (e.g., a rectangular, oval, or otherwise elongate cross-section). The diameter or thicknesses of strands 642, 624, and 622 may also vary significantly to range from 0.03 millimeters to more than 5 millimeters, for example.

Article 600 may be further processed to make a particular article of manufacture, such as an article of apparel. For example, article 600 may be incorporated into an upper 710 of an article of footwear 700, as shown in FIG. 31. For instance, foundation element 640 of article 600 may provide an exterior surface of upper 710, with tensile strands 642 being attached to the exterior surface of upper 710, as shown in FIG. 31. Tensile strands 642 may be secured to the exterior surface of upper 710 with various securing strands 624 and backing strands 622, as discussed above in regard to article 600.

Besides upper 710, article of footwear 700 may include a sole structure 720. Sole structure 720 is secured to upper 710 and extends between the foot and the ground when footwear 10 is worn. The primary elements of sole structure 20 are a midsole 721, an outsole 722, and a sockliner (not shown). Upper 710 is secured to sole structure 720 and defines a void within footwear 700 for receiving and securing a foot relative to sole structure 20. More particularly, an interior surface of foundation element 640 may form at least a portion of the void within upper 710. As depicted, foundation element 640 is shaped to accommodate the foot and extends along the lateral side of the foot, along the medial side of the foot, over the foot, around the heel, and under the foot. In other configurations, foundation element 640 may only extend over or along a portion of the foot, thereby forming only a portion of the void within upper 710. Access to the void within upper 710 is provided by an ankle opening 712 located in at least heel region 64. A lace 714 extends through various lace apertures 716, which extend through foundation element 640, and permit the wearer to modify dimensions of upper 710 to accommodate the proportions of the foot. In addition, upper 710 may include a tongue (not depicted) that extends under lace 714.

During walking, running, or other ambulatory activities, a foot within the void in footwear 700 may tend to stretch upper 710. That is, many of the material elements forming upper 710, including foundation element 640, may stretch when placed in tension by movements of the foot. Although tensile strands 642 may also stretch, tensile strands 642 generally stretch to a lesser degree than the other material elements forming upper 710 (e.g., foundation element 640). Each of tensile strands 642 may be located, therefore, to form structural components in upper 710 that resist stretching in specific directions or reinforce locations where forces are concentrated. As an example, the various tensile strands 642 that extend between lace apertures 716 and sole structure 720 resist stretch in the medial-lateral direction (i.e., in a direction extending around upper 710). These tensile strands 642 are also positioned adjacent to and radiate outward from lace apertures 716 to resist stretch due to tension in lace 714. As another example, the various tensile strands 642 that extend between forefoot region 60 and heel region 64 resist stretch in a longitudinal direction (i.e., in a direction extending through each of regions 60, 62, 64). Accordingly, tensile strands 642 are located to form structural components in upper 710 that resist stretch.

Methods for incorporating sewn or embroidered elements into articles, including features of the articles themselves, are discussed in U.S. application Ser. No. 12/847,860, filed on Jul. 30, 2010 to Frederick Dojan; U.S. application Ser. No. 13/404,377, filed on Feb. 24, 2012 to Frederick Dojan et al.; and U.S. application Ser. No. 12/546,022, filed on Aug. 24, 2009 to Frederick Dojan et al., which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

The invention is disclosed above and in the accompanying figures with reference to a variety of configurations. The purpose served by the disclosure, however, is to provide an example of the various features and concepts related to the invention, not to limit the scope of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that numerous variations and modifications may be made to the configurations described above without departing from the scope of the present invention, as defined by the appended claims. 

1. A stitching machine, comprising, a needle apparatus; a sewing thread spool receiving device; a bobbin thread spool receiving device; and a bobbin thread tensioner configured to receive bobbin thread from the bobbin thread spool receiving device and supply the bobbin thread to the needle apparatus, wherein the bobbin thread spool receiving device is configured to receive a bobbin spool holding at least 700 meters of bobbin thread.
 2. The stitching machine of claim 1, wherein the bobbin spool receiving device is located above a stitching location.
 3. The stitching machine of claim 2, wherein the bobbin spool receiving device is located at least 0.5 meter above the stitching location.
 4. The stitching machine of claim 1, wherein the tensioner is located above a stitching location.
 5. The stitching machine of claim 1, wherein the tensioner is located at least 0.5 meter above the stitching location.
 6. The stitching machine of claim 1, wherein the tensioner is located below the stitching location.
 7. The stitching machine of claim 6, wherein a bottom surface of a base of the stitching machine includes an aperture to receive the bobbin thread through the base and supply the bobbin thread to the stitching location.
 8. The stitching machine of claim 1, wherein the stitching machine is a sewing machine.
 9. The stitching machine of claim 1, wherein the stitching machine is an embroidery machine.
 10. A stitching machine, comprising: a needle apparatus; a sewing thread spool; a bobbin spool holding approximately 700 meters or more of bobbin thread; and a bobbin thread tensioner configured to receive bobbin thread from the bobbin thread spool receiving device and supply the bobbin thread to the needle apparatus.
 11. The stitching machine of claim 10, wherein the bobbin spool is located approximately 0.5 meter or more above a stitching location.
 12. The stitching machine of claim 10, wherein the tensioner is located above a stitching location.
 13. The stitching machine of claim 10, wherein the tensioner is located below the stitching location.
 14. The stitching machine of claim 10, wherein the bobbin spool holds approximately 900 to 10,000 meters of bobbin thread.
 15. The stitching machine of claim 10, wherein the bobbin spool holds approximately 1000 to 10,000 meters of bobbin thread.
 16. A method of stitching an article, the method comprising: providing a sewing thread spool holding sewing thread and supplying the sewing thread from the sewing thread spool to a stitching machine; providing a bobbin thread spool holding approximately 700 meters or more of bobbin thread and supplying the bobbin thread from the bobbin thread spool to the stitching machine; laying the sewing thread against a first surface of the article; laying a bobbin thread against a second surface of the article, the first surface being opposite the second surface; and stitching the sewing thread and the bobbin thread together.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of providing the bobbin thread spool include supplying the bobbin thread from the bobbin thread spool to a tensioner and then supplying the bobbin thread from the tensioner to the stitching machine.
 18. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of providing the bobbin thread spool includes locating the bobbin thread spool above the stitching machine during the step of stitching the sewing thread and the bobbin thread together.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the tensioner is located below the stitching machine during the step of stitching the sewing thread and the bobbin thread together.
 20. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of stitching includes forming a lock stitch with the sewing thread and the bobbin thread.
 21. The method of claim 16, wherein the article is an article of footwear.
 22. A method of stitching an article of footwear, the method comprising: laying a first strand against a first surface of a material element; providing a bobbin spool holding approximately 700 to 10,000 meters of a second strand and supplying the second strand to a stitching machine; stitching over the first strand with the second strand via the stitching machine to secure the second strand to the first surface at a plurality of locations on opposite sides of the first strand; and incorporating the material element and first strand into the article of footwear.
 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of providing the bobbin spool includes supplying the second strand from the bobbin spool to a tensioner and from the tensioner to the stitching machine.
 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the bobbin spool is located above a stitching location during the steps of stitching.
 25. The method of claim 24, wherein second strand is supplied from the tensioner to the stitching machine through an aperture in a base of the stitching machine.
 26. The method of claim 22, wherein the first strand is a tensile strand that resists stretch. 